


Of Gods and Heroes

by Burgie



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Gen, I probably forgot some characters oops, I think I got Ron Ron's last name right, also character death is because it's after the Titan fight, and Veronyka dies for a bit, don't worry she gets better, so uh F in the chat for them I guess, the other deaths don't though, this was my first ff fic so it's a bit rough
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-09-24 18:09:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20362849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Veronyka fights her first major battle, but the losses are hard to bear. Idk if everyone has an ao3 but I know Jack's is uglyjackal, Veronyka's the only one here who belongs to me.





	Of Gods and Heroes

Veronyka's fingers twitched around her thaumaturge staff as her eyes tracked one of the many kobolds that crawled around this area. Her ears flicked at the sound of an excited kobold targeting one of the various new adventurers that were gathered around here, and she turned with a shout to put down the monster with a blast of her newly-learned fire spell. This one was much more powerful than the ones before, and she grinned at the rush of power. When she'd first come to Ul'dah on that wagon, she hadn't expected to find thrill in battle. Honestly, she'd just wanted to find her sister. But now, there was a certain joy in putting down her enemies. So much so that she'd been unable to resist the call of the Black Mage when Jack had suggested it to her. Right now, the large hrothgar was scanning the area, arms folded over his chest, looking large and intimidating (though Veronyka knew just how soft he could be).

"Good job," said Jack as the kobold fell, Veronyka panting before she put her staff away again.

"Thanks," said Veronyka, turning to grin at him, her tail swaying. "I have to protect the new adventurers."

"Yes you do," Ronja cooed, looking down at Veronyka for a moment before her eyes caught on something behind her. Ronja reached behind her and, with a flick of her wrist, cast a spell that dispatched the kobold that Veronyka now vaguely heard fall behind her.

"What was that?" Veronyka asked, her ears twitching.

"Nothing for you to worry about," said Ronja breezily. "Where is Zelda?"

"She had to talk to someone, she'll be here soon," said Jack. "But hey, at least we're getting some practice on these kobolds."

"They're like flies," said Ronja as Veronyka darted away after another kobold that was attacking a poor viera.

"Tell me about it," Veronyka huffed as she came back. "I wanna fight a god!" Ronja laughed.

"Easy there," said Ronja.

"She's tiny but mighty," said Jack.

"Feisty, more like," said Zelda, finally striding through the grass towards them. She blasted a kobold out of the way, the creature twitching on the ground in her wake. "Jack, I hope nothing bad happened to her while I was gone."

"Give me some credit," said Jack. "I killed that goobbue for her!"

"And you weren't supposed to," said Zelda, exasperated. Veronyka rolled her eyes with a fond smile as her adoptive parents bickered over her.

"Hey, fight the monster, not each other," said Veronyka, just as several kobolds took interest in her. With a yelp, she ran away, feeling their attacks hit her back with a wince.

Passing out before a big battle probably wasn't the best thing, Veronyka reflected as she regained consciousness lying in the grass. Jack stood over her, looking worried in the one eye that she could see (or possibly the one eye he had, she didn't want to ask) while Zelda patiently administered healing spells and Ronja kept an eye out for any more kobolds.

"Okay, let's get in there before the child dies," said Zelda. Jack glared at her before turning his attention back to Veronyka.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Veronyka nodded as she got to her feet, barely even feeling woozy. She was getting far too used to that feeling of lightheadedness that came with being 'raised'.

"I will be," said Veronyka. "Now can we kill Titan?"

"She is way too eager for this," Zelda sighed as she walked over to the entrance of the dungeon where Y'shtola was priming the aetheryte to teleport them directly into the belly of the beast.

"Hey, she's got spirit," said Jack, grinning as he clapped Veronyka on the back. Veronyka stumbled but righted herself, so that Y'shtola frowned at her in concern.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Y'shtola asked, her blue eyes narrowed in concern.

"Yep!" said Veronyka, waving her tail. "Bring it on!"

"Please bring her out alive," said Y'shtola, her hand glowing as she pressed it to the aetheryte.

"We will," said Jack while Zelda mouthed the word 'doubt' at Ronja. Veronyka giggled but then, the feeling of being teleported crawled over her and she found herself in a large stone chamber, tinted red from something that looked very like lava. It was also very, very hot, so much so that Veronyka began to miss her miqo'te smallclothes that she'd arrived to Ul'dah in so long ago.

"Okay, are we ready?" Zelda asked, cracking her neck as she looked at the innocent-looking stones scattered about the place. "I'll tank, Ron and Veronyka can DPS, and Jack can heal. If you let the baby die, Jack, I'll kill you where you stand."

"I'll do my best," said Jack, giving a nod and drawing out his healing staff. Veronyka felt anticipation thrill through her veins as they stepped over the glowing purple line that would start the battle. She recognised it from many dungeons where she'd learned how to fight as part of a team.

Before her eyes, the many clumps of rock all rose up, glowing orange, and slammed together until they formed the primal known as Titan. Veronyka flattened her ears almost into her hair as the creature spoke, vowing death and destruction upon them all. Until Zelda ran in and smacked the creature's stony ankle very hard with her staff. And then, the battle finally commenced.

The ground shook as Veronyka ran around, firing flame spells at the primal and switching out to ice whenever her mana ran low. She was hit a few times, rocks leaving grazes in her skin, but Jack was quick to heal them. Veronyka's heart pounded as she ran a little closer to the edge, hoping to get more range and keep out of the way of attacks.

It all happened so quickly. One moment, Veronyka was near the edge, preparing another blast of flame to hurl at the beast. The next, the ground gave a tremendous heave and Veronyka cried out as she was flung from the stone pillar, falling to the depths below. She heard Jack cry out, along with Zelda, but it was too late, they couldn't reach her.

Waking up in the grass outside of the dungeon's entrance, Veronyka thought that the whole thing had been a dream. Opening her eyes to see the anxious faces of her adopted family hovering over Veronyka, though, told her that this hadn't been a dream at all. Their eyes were too wet, and they had little bits of debris all over them.

"Did we win?" Veronyka croaked. Now, Jack sobbed, pulling Veronyka's small, frail form into his arms.

"I'm so sorry, baby, I just looked away for a second," Jack murmured, his large hand smoothing over her hair.

"What happened?" Veronyka asked. She felt so much weaker this time, like she wouldn't be able to stand if she tried. She was only sitting because Jack was holding onto her.

"You... died," said Ronja, the tall woman looking unusually sheepish.

"Died?" Veronyka repeated, feeling her head spin. She touched her hand to it, wincing. She never hurt this much after being raised before.

"You did fall from a very high place," said Zelda. "I don't know if anyone can survive that. Jack raised you, though, afterwards."

"So we did win," said Veronyka. Zelda nodded, though she still looked solemn. "What's wrong? Doesn't that count?"

"No, honey, it counts," said Zelda. "Just- it was hard seeing Jack carry your lifeless body out of there in his arms. Y'shtola nearly fainted."

"Is she awake?" Y'shtola asked, approaching them. Her eyes looked kind of red and puffy.

"Yeah, she'll just be a bit weak for a while," said Jack, letting go of her at last. Zelda helped Veronyka to her feet, keeping an arm around her.

"Just take it easy," said Y'shtola. "But right now, you should also go ahead and report your victory to your Grand Company Commander."

"Okay," said Veronyka, nodding. She cast her teleport spell, sending the group of them to the aetheryte at Limsa Lominsa. Once there, she ran to the Storm Legion headquarters, eager to tell her commander the news.

"Well done," said her commander, beaming at her. "We are honoured to have a hero such as yourself among our ranks." Veronyka grinned right back at her, her spirits already lifting from the praise. The sound of applause coming from the desk only heightened that, making her grin all the wider. "Now then, go and report to Minfilia at the Waking Sands, she is waiting for you."

"I can definitely do that," said Veronyka, all but skipping the whole way back to the aetheryte where her friends were waiting. Once there, she cast the teleport spell again, sending them to Horizon. "Wait here, I won't be long." Grinning, she called her chocobo, quickly climbing into the saddle and settling among Stormy's pink feathers. This was so familiar, running down the slope and through to The Waking Sands. She dismissed Stormy at the door, her excitement growing as she opened the doors and waited to see the look on Minfilia's face when she told her the news.

But that smile faded, replaced by fear, as the smell hit her. That was... blood. So much blood. Veronyka tried not to hyperventilate too much while she walked through, skirting the bodies. She tried not to look at them too much, but her heart still raced the closer she got to the massive wooden doors that led to the Solar. She placed her hand on the handle, almost dreading what she'd find. But she had to know.

The first thing she saw was Noraxia's little green leafy body lying in front of the desk that Minfilia usually stood behind. There were other bodies in here, too, but- one of the leaves moved and Veronyka was running before she knew it, falling to her knees beside Noraxia's little body.

"Noraxia?" Veronyka asked, tears clinging to her lashes as she looked down at the little body. A single tear fell on a leaf, and Noraxia opened her eyes.

"Walking one?" Noraxia whispered. "Seven, it is you. Come closer, Minfilia left me a message for walking one."

For the first time, Veronyka hated her ability to get visions. She'd do anything to tear herself away from the scene of devastation that unfolded before her eyes, sentries getting slaughtered until the ground ran red with blood. And then, as the vision changed to show The Solar, Veronyka froze as Minfilia came face to face with the assailant. No, she couldn't, she wasn't about to see... but the bullet thudded into the wall behind Minfilia, who didn't even flinch.

"Noraxia, no!" Veronyka cried out as the little sylph threw herself in front of Minfilia. The sound and sight of the little body hitting the wall was more than she could handle, and Veronyka was glad to come out of the vision. Until she saw Noraxia's form fading before her eyes.

"Go to the church outside of Camp Drybone," Noraxia rasped. "Make haste, Veronyka. They will protect you." But Noraxia knew, as she watched the light fade from Noraxia's eyes, the leaves fall still, exactly where she needed to go.

Veronyka didn't know how she managed to drag herself back to Horizon to where her family was waiting for her. All it took was one look at her wet eyes, at her tearstained cheeks, for them to figure out that something had gone terribly wrong.

"They're dead," she sobbed, clutching onto Jack. "They're all dead." She trembled, almost hating the sun on her back. How could it be sunny at a time like this?

"Let's take her home," said Jack, looking over her head at Zelda, who nodded. Soon, they were at the estate, Jack carrying Veronyka to bed. Usually, she jumped into the bed in eagerness, settling in and waiting for her family to surround her. But this time, she didn't want to let go of Jack. Just last night, he'd told her a funny bedtime story before Zelda had chased him off so she could sleep. How had everything changed in just a day?

"Can you guys stay with me?" Veronyka asked, sniffling.

"Of course," said Zelda, sliding onto the bed next to her. Veronyka cried and snuggled into her, sandwiched between her and Jack. Astrid soon joined them, along with Ronja, somehow finding space on the bed. And maybe, like this, Veronyka could start to forget everything that had happened. At least for a little bit. Even if she couldn't stop seeing that scene of carnage whenever she closed her eyes.


End file.
